Blue-gray Gnatcatcher Identification

Breeding male

Tiny and slim with long legs, a long tail, and a thin, straight bill. Blue-gray above and white below. Breeding males have a black V on their foreheads extending above their eyes. Note black tail with white outer tail feathers and white eyering.

Female/nonbreeding male

Tiny songbird with a long, dark tail with white outer tail feathers. Females/nonbreeding birds are gray above with a thin white eyering.

Female

Builds a tiny nest on top of a branch, using spiderweb, plant fibers, and lichens. Call is a sharp, nasal note.

Breeding male

Energetic and fluttery bird that often cocks its tail up or to the side. Note thin white eyering and white outer tail feathers.

Breeding male

Often holds its tail up over its back. The outer tail feathers are white, but birds in western North America have black at the base of the outer tail feathers, whereas birds in the East have entirely white outer tail feathers.

Female/nonbreeding male

Tiny songbird with a thin bill. Females/nonbreeding birds are grayish above and paler below with a thin white eyering.

Female/nonbreeding male

Tiny grayish songbird that conspicuously flicks its white-edged tail from side to side. Note thin white eyering.

Breeding male

Breeding male

Adult (Cozumel)

Habitat

Found in deciduous forests and mixed woodlands, often in moister areas and near edges.